Burglars steal $225,000 worth of luxury handbags, watches from SoHo store, police say
NEW YORK - Police are on the search for two men wanted for stealing from a luxury consignment store in SoHo.
It follows a trend of brazen high-end heists.
There's no window-shopping at Rebag, with the blinds shut and a sign on the door indicating it's temporarily closed after police say it was burglarized.
Just feet away, young shoppers snap photos in one of Manhattan's most fashionable neighborhoods, but many in the area fear trendy is turning into a target.
"I come to this store often, and they have beautiful stuff," SoHo resident Dolly Kosow said. "I am so sad."
The NYPD says around 11 p.m. on Feb. 12, while the luxury consignment retail store was closed, two men broke in through the basement and stole almost a quarter-million dollars worth of assorted handbags and watches -- many items consumers were trying to sell through the store.
According to its terms and conditions, "Rebag is responsible for risk-of-loss" while products are in their possession.
Police say it happened just one week before the high-end heist at the Gucci store in the Meatpacking District, where three people stole around $50,000 in merchandise. Police are still searching for those suspects.
"It just gets you thinking, what is really going on around here?" tourist Grace Noey said.
According to recent city data, there has been a 77% increase in retail theft complaints over the past five years.
Just last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed adding $45 million to the state budget to help fight this type of theft.
"The stress on someone going to work every day, working in retail, it's off the charts," she said.
The assistant store manager of 7 For All Mankind, which is next door to Rebag, says he is always worried about a person stealing from them.
"Especially that you see it frequently," Tommie Torres said. "First protocol is to make sure your staff is safe."
Cantaloupe Inc. CEO Ravi Venkatesan says his state-of-the-art smart cafe kiosks use artificial intelligence to deter retail theft and more companies should get on board.
"I think the situation is worse than most people realize and it needs to be fixed," he said.
Police tell us this is not the first time Rebag was robbed. The same location has been targeted a few times over the last couple years.
We reached out to Rebag for a comment on the most recent burglary and to get clarity on what this means for people who are selling their bags through consignment. We have not yet heard back.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.